VT4SEC

The rumor that the B1G is targeting Georgia Tech is now coming from multiple places. It's still to be seen if this is legitimate, but it makes sense. Here's why -

1. TV sets. Obviously. Maryland, Rutgers, and GT provide the NYC, DC and Atlanta markets. I read somewhere that the population in the mid-west is actually decreasing. It would make sense that the B1G would try to grab as many big-city markets as possible, while expanding their brand across a pretty large swath of the US.

2. NOTRE DAME. It's no secret that the B1G wants Notre Dame. When the Notre Dame / ACC deal was announced, I'm sure the B1G decided at exactly that moment that it would be a good time to destroy the ACC. The B1G now probably wants 4x16 team conferences, because they know in that scenario that they get Notre Dame. Why? Because ND will never go to the Big 12 because they won't coexist with Texas.

I think Boston College is a more logical target for the Big 10 than GT given their dual goals of getting big TV markets and attracting Notre Dame. ND has played Boston College every year for decades. As they lose more and more traditional rivalry games, their ability to negotiate TV contracts as an independent goes down. There's also no SEC competition to deal with as there would be in Atlanta. But then again, college football is much more popular overall and the demographic trend is in its favor, so maybe GT would be more attractive.

It is a real shame that Weaver and Steger were too stupid to see this coming right from the start. They've cost the university tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars by not moving to the SEC during the first round of expansion. And that's assuming we finally come to our senses and leave soon. If we stick with the ACC while the ship sinks, the losses will be incalculable. The Big East part 2 is not going to keep its automatic spot in the college football postseason.

Does anyone remember Weaver's excuse for not going to the SEC? He thought we'd have to expand our stadium SO LARGE that the higher revenue wouldn't cover it. I wonder what his real agenda was.

I agree that BC would be a better fit for the B1G geographically and academically, but the TV market argument in regards to Boston is somewhat flawed. Yes there is no competition in Boston and yes it is a huge TV market, but I am originally from New England, and with the exception of pockets of Massachusetts, New England is predominately apathetic toward college football. Shoot, football in general is not a big deal in New England (soccer is unquestionably more popular), and while people root for the New England Patriots, its more of a regional pride thing than it is a true deep-rooted following. BC was a regional "suitcase" school prior to Flutie's Hail Mary, and only then did it become nationally relevant and start jacking up its admissions criteria and shooting for all of the New England Private/Catholic schools. So sure you'll get people who COULD tune it, but you will not get the week-after-week fervor you'll find elsewhere in the country.

I'm sorry but that's absolutely ridiculous. You think it's ok for these people to waste millions out of loyalty for UVA? Even if that were a worthwhile goal how does our staying the ACC while it collapses even make anything better for UVA? And anyway, it wasn't UVA that got us in it was the governor of VA.

1. UVa and UNC are not as much of a package as UNC and Duke....UNC will not leave Duke, and therefore will not join the SEC even if that offer ever came
2. UVa would not join the SEC
3. UVa gets about 70% (guessing) attendance in their current stadium, which only holds about 63k, and the closest they get to traveling to away games is watching ESPN on a treadmill
4. Back to point #3...the SEC would never invite a school with such a fan base; this would also be considered for UNC who doesn't have spectacular attendance either

Most people think VT is the next logical choice for the SEC, which could bring a NC State/VT pairing. Of course, Missouri? If they are willing to make that leap then the $EC may be doing some other strange thing that will make no sense when it actually happens.

There may be many twists and turns in this conference realignment saga. I think we will know something from GT today or tomorrow. If Ga Tech's president doesn't issue a statement then I think they are going. I don't even think they have an AD right now. I think he left or is leaving for Clemson.

If I recall correctly, the ESPN SEC blogger said the SEC's first choice for expansion would be VT, and if they could get VT, they'd take whoever else they could get. I think he said that was the case with A&M.

UVa would never join the SEC (even if for some unknown, god-forsaken reason they were offered a spot) for one simple reason:

ACADEMICS

The SEC is not a notably 'smart' conference like the ACC or B1G. UVa doesn't want that stigma attached to their snobby, snooty, uptight, high-horse university. Football dominates over school in God's Country and UVA don't roll like that. They will end up in the B1G or go down with the ship in the ACC.

"I'm not aware of any communications between university leadership and the Big Ten or any other conference," Griffin said Friday afternoon from Charlotte, where Tech will play Florida State for the ACC football championship Saturday.

Griffin acknowledged that an action like switching conferences from the ACC to the Big Ten would take place at an executive level, but said that Tech president G.P. "Bud" Peterson "has told me there's been no communication nor does he expect any."

"G.P. 'Bud' Peterson" ?????? Hahaha Damn they would even fit in with the B1G and good old E. Gordon Gee of "the" ohio state university. (as opposed to "that other" ohio state university that exists out there, right buckeyes)

All this statement did was get the media off the Universities' backs. Like is said above, if MD get's that $50 mil bill decreased it will likely be a free-for-all to leave. But for now they admins don't want to deal with all the questions and rumors.

I think we all just need to let this go until the whole MD issue is settled and then we can worry about it again. I think it has been made plenty obvious that the people who actually have a say in this stuff don't want to make a move right now.

Of course, we all know this can change in a split second but I would at least wait for an AD or higher up to say something before we worry about anything.

I think we've all learned that reporters, bloggers, and others are just way to trigger happy right now and think anytime someone mentions conference realignment that shits about to go down. It's not, at least not yet.

So how about we worry right now about VT and the ACC, we have a basketball program that is doing great things and a bowl game to worry about in a few weeks.